Less than a tenth of individuals who could benefit from weight-loss injections like Wegovy have access to them, states the global health agency as it publishes its first guidance on the therapies.
Given in excess of 1,000,000,000 people worldwide now obese, it is calling for broader and more equitable access to these injectable treatments.
According to forecasts, over two billion could be living with obesity by 2030 without intervention.
"The latest guidelines acknowledges that obesity is a lifelong illness that can be managed with thorough and lifelong care," remarked its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, limited production capacity, and distribution challenges are major obstacles to widespread access to the treatments that can help people shift substantial body mass, notes the organization.
GLP-1 Therapy Scarcity
Even under the current most favorable outlook, the supply of such drugs might only reach about 100 million people – less than 10% of eligible patients, according to the health organization.
The advice calls on governments and firms to expand availability, by measures including voluntary licensing.
The intellectual property rights on the active ingredient – the primary ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is due to expire in a number of countries in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Injections Work
These medications imitate a biological compound to delay gastric emptying, curb appetite and increase feelings of fullness so people reduce food intake.
Individuals usually begin shedding pounds in the initial weeks of starting on the weekly injections.
Research indicates users may put most of the weight back on after a year of stopping the medication, as their normal appetite return.
Being overweight or obese raises your likelihood for developing medical conditions, like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and some cancers.
Obesity affects people in all nations and was linked to millions of fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
